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Portland
Portland, formerly one of the largest cities in the pre-war United States, but is now a ruined urban wasteland populated by various different groups that have vied for control for almost two centuries. The situation has stabilized somewhat in recent years, with much of Portland being re-inhabited in the years following the Great War, but Portland has remained a flashpoint for conflict throughout this rebuilding, with numerous factions and individuals vying for control of the shattered remnants of this former metropolis. History Pre-War Prior to the Great War the city of Portland was a thriving metropolis enjoying the great boom of prosperity seen following the end of World War II; arguably one of the most desirable and modern cities in the United States, it boasted a thriving service and leisure economy unrivalled on the East Coast. Luxurious hotels, five star restaurants; all were to be found in the city. Of course, Portland also had its famously bohemian lifestyle to advertise itself with; a counter-cultural place of beatnik artists, refusing to jive to the squares' rules, with all the coffee shoppes, fashion boutiques and poetry clubs that entailed. Though this hardly matched much of the rest of the United States' all American, patriotic, white-picket-fence sensibilities, it nonetheless found its place in large parts of Portland, with its famously anti-consumerist devotees buying up every consumer good on the market, buoyed by trust-funds and meagre earnings from the odd poetry workshop. Of course, by the 2060s and the declaration of the Sino-American War, government patience with these otherwise trivial alternative lifestyles lived by a considerable portion of the populace had grown increasingly thin; opposition to the draft and increasing numbers of protests regarding the ever-intensifying food rationing further aggravated the city, state and federal governments to the point where action, of any nature, was determined to be utterly necessary; arrests of prominent demonstration leaders, regardless of their familial connections, and their subsequent disappearances in custody, often at the hands of shadowy figures supposedly working for the Defense Intelligence Agency, did little to inspire patriotic values in these draft-dodging chem-takers. Beyond the putting down of protests, the military presence was fairly lax, save for the usual troop movements as forces made the great push to the coast and beyond, likely to see action in the Pacific against the Chinese. Sizeable stockpiles of arms and ammunition were placed in especially high concentrations at select locations, such as the Air National Guard base and the odd DIA safehouse, in the event of what was feared to be the possibility of a second-front opening on the West Coast. As the 2060s drew to a close, the fear of Chinese invasion became less of a concern; instead, these stockpiles were reinforced by supplies of disaster relief equipment, specifically Rad-X and RadAway, as fears of an atomic war prompted by a now desperate and losing China grew amongst civil and military authorities. Great War Post-War Layout Economy Culture Notable Characters General Virgo Clark A former Son of Liberty and raider, General Virgo Clark of the Free Northwestern Army has come a long way since leaving NAP Territory. He is now the most powerful man in Portland. Clark took the helm of general of FNA forces in the Portland area after the violent death of the venerable General Clint Bundy in 2285. General Clark's rather opportunistic but personable approach to leading his troops has clashed with the more traditional FNA in Portland who used to be Mutant Hunters. He is still adjusting to his larger leadership role while stoking his resentment towards the Sons of Liberty. Luckily, Clark's rather gregarious and practical personality has smoothed things out quite a bit and certainly helped the FNA's relations with various settlements in Portland. His current goal is to break the power of Skull-Taker's Legion and unite Portland under the rule of the Free Northwestern Army. His stance on the New California Republic is skeptical if not outright hostile, again setting him apart from many others in the FNA. Caesar Skull-Taker Caesar Skull-Taker is the leader of Skull-Taker's Legion and a tribal warlord. Some call him a prophet, some call him a warrior, some call him a maniac. The group, Skull-Taker's Legion, is his dream and he leads it as he sees fit. Any that oppose him have to deal with the business end of his mini-gun, particularly those who count themselves as part of "civilization". Consciously imitating Caesar’s Legion, Caesar Skull-Taker hopes to one day recreate his idol’s success in Cascadia. Giuseppe Romano Giuseppe Romano has been called many things over the course of his life, from a scoundrel to a huckster and worst of all, a politician. Currently the mayor of Cornell, Romano is admittedly rather corrupt but is still beloved by the people and had their best interests at heart. Born in Cornell and the son of a shoemaker, Giuseppe Romano has an ambitious and rose in power through being the crony for other more powerful figures at the time. Romano had already been a bookkeeper, a goods inspector, and a secretary to the mayor when he became mayor himself in 2280. He has remained in office since by currying favor with the FNA for continued protection, promoting trade with caravans, and making historic connections with other settlements around Portland. Romano’s ego and whetted Napoleon complex make things hard sometimes, but no one except a couple of raiders have died because of Romano yet. In current times, Mayor Romano is still entertaining the FNA at hands’ length while also making some caps on the side. Because of the Mutant Hunters history in Cornell, most of the Portland’s FNA is based out of Cornell and Mayor Romano effectively shares power with General Clark. Romano is not pleased with this. Commander Jeanine Park The mercenary commander of the Snakebites, Jeanine Park is a severe personality with a massive chip on her shoulder. Jeanine Park is a former member of the Sons of Liberty similarly to Virgo Clark, but she left on her own accord, unlike Clark. She went on to form the mercenary group the Snakebites in 2278 to protect vulnerable settlements. At the time, the FNA was still very weak, and raiders still had a heavy presence in the city. Jeanine has built up her reputation and her mercenary group since that time. The rise of the FNA and Skull-Taker's Legion has led to Jeanine's situation becoming more complicated. She has to cooperate with General Clark, who she detests, several times and avoid the conflicts between the two largest factions in Portland. Jeanine's austere attitude and methodical outlook has kept the Snakebites together but also makes her rather friendless socially. Her cold exterior and robotic leg have led to her gaining a nickname "Park the Tool". Her time away from the Sons of Liberty has worn on her over time however it may seem on the surface. Nevertheless, Jeanine fights on into the future with no thoughts of returning to NAP Territory. Sharon Futterman Sharon Futterman, originally a caravaner from California, has become something of an entrepreneur by settling down in Oswego and opening up Café 13. If you want something, she can get it for you. Sharon arrived in Portland around 2281 when the Oregon Brushfire Wars were winding down. She felt that she could make a lot of money peddling NCR products on the frontier, and her insider connections help her do this. Inserting herself into Oswego's community and buying property there, Sharon set up Café 13 as a 'legitimate' business. Most of Sharon's caps have really been made through her more clandestine dealings such as chem dealing, gun running, and human trafficking. Sharon has made a great deal of money over the last couple of years, mostly through helping out the FNA. However, Sharon has a surprisingly low opinion of the FNA and is quite ready to leave Café 13 behind if her life is threatened. Sharon, a slippery individual, is not really that concerned about the factional situation in Cascadia besides what will keep her safe. Farrakhan An unlikely character, Farrakhan is one of the New Disciples in Portland and a rather simple-minded super mutant. Farrakhan's first memories are emerging from the massive FEV vats in Mariposa Military Base with only his name and a fanatical devotion to the Master. Farrakhan was a member of the Master's Army for years, fighting wastelanders and ghouls in numerous battles. Particularly, Farrakhan killed numerous ghouls at Necropolis even though it made him feel horrible. Everything changed for Farrakhan after the arrival of the Vault Dweller, the fall of the Master, and the dissolution of the Master's Army. The Master's death left Farrakhan without a purpose, and he did not want to keep on fighting for the Unity unlike some other remnants of the Master's Army. Making his way north alone, Farrakhan had a rough time of it making his way through the wasteland. The super mutant eventually holed up in a ruin in Oregon and lived as a hermit for a couple of years without a purpose. That was until the arrival of a Christian missionary in 2228 to Farrakhan's home who convinced him to believe in something again: God. Farrakhan's conversion to Christianity brought him hope again and asked the missionary if he could join his order. The missionary told Farrakhan that he was a member of the New Disciples and offered to take the super mutant back to his mission in Portland. The two made their way back to Portland to rejoin the New Disciples there. Upon arriving back in the New Disciples mission at Mount Tabor, Farrakhan immediately decided to join the visionary organization. Farrakhan continued to work diligently as a New Disciple for the next fifty years or so as many came and went through the mission. The work Farrakhan did mostly had to with the mission’s protection and moving heavy materials. Today, Farrakhan continues to work happily at the Mount Tabor mission for the New Disciples and is a good friend of the current leader Jenny. He welcomes the stability the FNA brings, even though many ex-Mutant Hunters would not hesitate to head-shot Farrakhan if given the chance. He views raiders and Skull-Taker’s Legion as threats to the New Disciples’ safety and therefore evil. Farrakhan also abhors killing due to his experiences in the Master’s Army and tries not to kill those who attack the New Disciples unless he has to. Gremlin Gremlin is a vicious raider boss whose small raider gang is based out of Government Island so as to control one of the bridges over the Columbia River. One of Portland's last raiders, Gremlin is trying to keep a balancing act between the Free Northwestern Army and Skull-Taker's Legion while also having some rather sadistic fun on the side. Born to some Portland scavengers in 2260, Gremlin was brought up among the chaos of the War of the Northwestern Alliance. FNA troopers, Oregon tribals, and scavenger turned Oregon partisans all clashed in the streets while people like Gremlin ran about just trying to survive. Many of his friends died but fortunately his parents survived, mostly thanks to help from the New Disciples. One of Gremlin's better childhood memories was meeting Stern's Raiders in 2269. Still a wide-eyed child, Gremlin idolized these heroic figures as close to gods. That was until shortly after when all of Stern's Raiders were wiped out at the Battle of Black Peak. When the War of the Northwestern Alliance wound down, the FNA in Portland were too exhausted to really enforce their will over the city, and it fell into darkness. Gremlin became a mischievous little thief to survive, but he still had a heart. Gremlin's parents were barely scraping by in 2274 and in order to survive while feeding his other three siblings, they pushed Gremlin out on the street. The following fight for survival changed Gremlin into the beast that he is today. In 2275, Gremlin was recruited by a raider gang to attack the caravans that were still trying to brave Portland's bridges over the Columbia River. Gremlin's raiding led him to great moral degeneration as he took part in numerous examples of torture, rape, and murder. Gremlin eventually became the boss of the Government Island Gang in 2280 and entered his leadership with a bang, burning his way through a large part of the ruins to usher in his ascendancy. The rest of Gremlin's time as boss was a lot quieter, with caravaners and wastelanders continuously avoiding Government Island. Life has been getting rather boring lately for Gremlin, and he is just about ready to take some risks to get back on track. An immoral raider boss, Gremlin cares little for anyone besides himself. He would sell his own mother if it would save his own skin. However, this selfishness does not reduce Gremlin's combat skill, and he is possibly to most skillful melee fighter in Portland. He is very recognizable due to his scavenged raider armor and radiation-twisted fire axe. Gremlin has no real inclinations towards factions within Portland since he is mostly too high on psycho and jet to care. Fleet Foot Fleet Foot is a tribal scavenger who survived her tribe being assimilated and now lives around Mount Tabor. A descendant of the vault dwellers who emerged from Vault 9, Fleet Foot was born into a primitive tribe living in the ruins of Portland around 2266. Fleet Foot was born into the turbulent environment of the War of the Northwestern Alliance with several factions fighting for control. That included Fleet Foot's tribe, cannibalistic Oregon tribals, who supported the Northwestern Alliance. However, Fleet Foot never fought for the alliance, only around to witness its collapse and with that the fall of Portland into chaos. Fleet Foot's mother was killed by a FNA trooper in 2270 which drove her father to drink even as she was growing up. Fleet Foot mostly spent her time away from her father in Portland's ruins, scavenging and picking through garbage. The tribal lifestyle had begun to change as the tribe was forced to confront their own shortcomings. The tribe Fleet Foot grew up in was changed forever with the arrival of Skull-Taker's Legion in 2285. The tribal army overwhelmed much of the FNA in the northern part of Portland, which pleased many tribals. That eventually resulted in an emissary arriving at the tribals' camp to offer them a place in Skull-Taker's Legion. The tribal elders seemed eager to join up while many of the lower-ranking in the tribe, including Fleet Foot, who were still cautious about Skull-Taker's Legion. The division within the tribe did not stop the tribal elders from joining up with Skull-Taker's Legion. This left a couple of tribals like Fleet Foot behind, left with only their morals and memories. Continuing her life as a scavenger, Fleet Foot made her way south until she made her way to Mount Tabor. There, she has lived as a scavenger for about two years gathering scrap and food. Her tribal origins, bizarre appearance, and sympathies to Skull-Taker's Legion isolate Fleet Foot from many in Mount Tabor. Fleet Foot has managed to fend off any advances by drunken FNA troopers, but her being a tribal has led to the FNA watching her for different reasons. She could be more assimilated, but Fleet Foot is too proud to abandon her heritage for a chance of success. Slime Once a soldier in the United States Army, the ghoul Slime has come a long way since the Great War. Slime was born Andrew Boucher in 2056 to French-Canadian parents who lived in Maine. Living around Portland, Maine, Andrew joined the Army early in the flower of his youth to see the world. He was only in China for a couple of months before being pulled back to the States for concerns about domestic safety. This was disappointing for Andrew, but he followed orders. Andrew was deployed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before the war came to America. When the bombs fell, Andrew survived the initial blasts in an Army bomb shelter. Andrew, donning power armor, emerged from the bomb shelter in 2078 to enforce America's will on the wasteland. That did not work out as expected. Andrew’s unit was quickly overwhelmed by the sick and dying begging for anything to survive on. The remaining soldiers, working with the National Guard, attempted to remain steely-hearted to survive on their own scant supplies. Empathetic to the survivors’ plight, Andrew secretly gave some children supplies and told them to leave Portland. Only a month or so after emerging from their fallout shelter, the soldiers began experiencing the effects of radiation poisoning and mass desertion. Harried on all sides by men, beasts, and weather twisted by radiation, Andrew decided it was time to leave in early 2078, along with his power armor. His former squad-mates, now well on their way to becoming ghouls and quite mad, chased Andrew for days after his desertion until he lost them in the ruins of Portland’s heavily irradiated Central City. There, among the molten slag of fallen skyscrapers and cracked streets, Andrew nearly went insane. However, Andrew Boucher did not for one reason: he found a live baby bawling in the center of the radiation in Portland. This flabbergasted the ghoul, who assumed no non-mutant could ever survive the location’s unforgiving environment. Not wanting the babe to die from exposure, Andrew scooped up the baby and took it back to safety. Finding that baby gave Andrew a purpose again, another goal besides just surviving. He had to raise this child and see her survive to adulthood. Andrew did as well as he could for child care in the wasteland and in that time also learned of his own near immortality. The girl, named Leslie, grew up to be a bright, beautiful teenager. That was when the complications began. Things began stirring within Andrew that had not stirred for years. That scared Andrew greatly, which along with the knowledge he would most likely outlive Leslie led to him eventually leaving his adopted daughter in 2098 to roam the wider wasteland. Many in Portland already loathed Andrew for his monstrous appearance, so he rationalized leaving as making things better for Leslie. Leslie was confused on why her power-armored guardian wanted to abandon her, and the two left each other on bad terms. Andrew roamed the wasteland for nearly fifty years after leaving Portland, taking part in numerous adventures all over the wasteland. That was with thoughts of returning to Portland always in the back of his mind. After gaining numerous new experiences, Andrew Boucher also gained a new name: Slime. This was a epithet thrown at Andrew innumerable times in 2111 which adopted to put his pre-War past behind him. The name stuck after that. Slime came back to Portland in 2146, feeling that it had long enough. He had not really expected Leslie to be still alive, but Slime was mortified to find out she had died in 2101, only three years after he left her. I failed. This sent Slime on a long string of chem and alcohol binges. That ended with a couple of people dead, but Slime was still alive to his chagrin. Since returning back to Portland, Slime has lived the life of a hard-boiled mercenary. He still has morals of a sort but they definitely degraded from their pre-War ideals. Slime, however his name might imply, is not really an unsavory character just a little coarse and willing to get his hands dirty. He has some friends within circles of other mercs in Portland but nothing lasting, since he will no-doubt outlive most of them. His status as a pre-War ghoul in power armor makes him interesting to many curious individuals, though Slime rarely ever entertains their requests for stories and instead asking them if they have a job for him. Patch Schmidt Patch Schmidt is a life-wary scavenger who lives in Cornell while poking through the ruins all around Portland. He has little concern about the factions throughout Portland besides the survival of his family and caps. Born at the Portland International Airport in 2256, Patch was the third in a family of scavvers. Patch followed his parents' lessons and stayed out of trouble even as the Oregon Brushfire Wars consumed Portland. His family's friendship with the Mutant Hunters and then the FNA helped Patch out. After Portland settled down into stability in the 2270s, Patch got married and had his own family in Cornell. He currently lives there today, a traditional family man who lives his life as many others in Portland do (a rather boring existence someone like Aloysius Fenchurch would scorn). His loyalty to his family is his best attribute, while Patch's fear of change is his eternal weakness. Aloysius Fenchurch Aloysius Fenchurch is a Ghoul who has lived in Portland since before the Great War. Unconcerned with the factions and tribalism within the ruined city, his primary concern is ensuring that he remains on the cutting edge of everything around him. He has the amazing ability to spot a trend coming and hop onto it as fast as possible before it becomes widely known and popular. He will then be able to spread the news about this latest development while pointing out that he was into it before it was popular or well known. Be it artisan Brahmin cheese, hand-crafted Pipe weapons, ballistic-reinforced flannel shirts or whatever other new and amazing discovery he has made. He is also committed to the idea of ensuring that Portland remains ‘weird’. Or, as he puts it, ‘not turning into another cookie-cutter picket fence wasteland with the same raiders, slavers, robots and super mutants as everywhere else.’ Notable Locations Columbia River Bridge One of the two remaining bridges in Portland that still span the Columbian River, the Columbia River Bridge was built in 1908 as a means to carry irrigation water pipelines across the Columbia River. The bridge survived the Great War in relatively good shape, but it has grown rather unstable as years of caravan traffic passed over it. Currently, the bridge is held by Skull-Taker's Legion who guard it jealously. Ironically, them not letting traffic over the bridge has more or less prevented it from falling apart on its own. Columbia River Gorge Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River, of which only some is within the boundaries of Portland. Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the Deschutes River in the east down to the eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the area is mostly inhabited by homesteaders and Oregon tribals. The part of the river gorge near Portland is mostly inhabited by members of Skull-Taker's Legion, who have a couple of small villages there. It used to be a caravan route before the arrival of Skull-Taker's Legion and some caravans still occasionally come through. Cornell Cornell is one of the largest and oldest settlements in Portland, a hub of scavengers and caravaners. One of the first communities to emerge from the fires of the Great War, Cornell gained enough power to fend off the raiders and mutants living in Portland. Over the years, Cornell has gained something of an entrepreneurial flair. Currently, Cornell is under the protection of the Free Northwestern Army who is also based there. Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge Government Island Portland Japanese Garden Mount Tabor Oswego Pittock Mansion Portland International Airport Vault 9 Category:Places Category:Cascadia